Treating Your Face is Like Cleaning a Blouse (Just Go With It)

It might sound a bit strange, but let me explain.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? We hope you see a beautiful face, but you might be more apt to point out what you don't like about your skin than what you do. So let's be honest; after a long, hard look, you might say you see lines or even some wrinkles.

Now, back to that blouse! Imagine a blouse with a stain on it and a few pills. Now imagine that same blouse with a few creases. If you iron the blouse, what are you left with? A stained and pilled blouse.

Most people know to look for wrinkles, so that's what they see. They don't know to look for other issues (discoloration, rough patches, dull skin) so naturally, they go unnoticed. And, drum roll please... these are the issues that can be easily remedied! The fact is, wrinkles account for a mere 20% of skincare issues, meaning that 80% of other skincare troubles aren't getting their fair share of attention. If you're managing your wrinkles that's great, but getting rid of fine lines doesn't get you an A+ for skincare.

Let's take this a step further. New patients come into Dr. Schultz's office every day, complaining that they "Don't like their skin." Dr. Schultz then asks them what they don't like and, most of the time, patients respond with, "I don't know... the lines and wrinkles." These patients are looking at the 20%; Dr. Schultz sees the other 80%, and treats that other 80%. The next time those patients come into the office they are usually head over heels in love with their skin, and quick to share how many compliments they've received. And guess what? Dr. Schultz didn't even treat the wrinkles.

Seeing a bigger picture: comprehensive skincare

So the next time you look in the mirror, put wrinkles on the back burner. Check for discoloration from premature photo-aging (which can be evened out by antioxidants, peptides and exfoliants). Notice that your skin is a little dull? Regular exfoliation can return a luster and brightness to matte skin. And preventing these conditions is possible with the regular use of sunscreen.

Bottom line: The next time you think about improving your skin, don't just look at your lines (which do play a part, we can't deny that). But just like the blouse, it's about the "stains" and the "pills" as much, if not more, than it is about wrinkles. The good news is that you can repair it all.